Escape
by wishbone95
Summary: We all know the story of the classic Sleeping Beauty by heart at this point. But has anyone bothered to look at Aurora's perspective? Why does she prick the needle in the first place? Inspired by Lana Del Rey's "Old Money"


**So this is inspired by the Disney version, the original tale by the Grim's Fairy tales as well as Maleficent and was inspired by the song "Old Money" by Lana Del Rey. Hope you guys enjoy!**

They didn't understand. How could they anyway? All her life, she'd grown up in the forests, playing with animals, singing and doing as she pleased. She was raised by 3 women who came to become her family. Each one of them were her mother, her sister and her friend. She had never seen a male before and therefore, when she saw him, she was fascinated. It was pure fascination. She was not in love with him. She'd read about it all- the idealistic love between a man and a woman. She'd asked her mothers about it and they'd simply said that it will happen when it was meant to do so. Curiously, she'd asked about who her father was and they'd dismissed it saying that she was adopted so there was no way of knowing who they were. She'd accepted it and foolishly so. She never had a reason to question it but that was until she met Philip.

It was odd of course. He had heard her sing. He had called her beautiful. She was flattered and she sang and danced with him. He was on her mind forever from that point onwards. She was fascinated. After all, she was a teenager. For a teenage girl to be complimented by a boy like that.. it was thrilling. She felt a strange kind of validation. Maybe, she was good enough after all. Maybe she really wasn't good enough for animals only. She'd never brought this up but she'd always wondered it. Why was she never allowed to interact with the villagers? Was she odd? Was she strange? Was that why she was only allowed to interact with animals and her mothers? These questions always plagued her mind. But after that day, they all were answered.

She had never considered herself to be beautiful or ugly as she never had any standard to be compared against. She had never considered herself to be talented as no one else rivaled her when it came to music. No one else sang, no else danced, no one else was ever around. Then, he came along. He called her beautiful. He said she had a beautiful voice. He called her graceful. What was she supposed to?

She was such a fool. She should have known. He was a stranger, an unknown person. Her mothers finally told her the truth that day when she told them about him. Aurora, who was raised all her life in a forest in absolute isolation, was a princess by birth, who was cursed by an evil fairy at her christening. The fairy, who was annoyed at being overlooked, cursed her by saying that she would prick her finger on a spindle and die. Her Godmothers, the fairies who raised her, altered the curse so that she would simply sleep for a 100 years and would be awakened by the kiss of a prince, her one true love. Her parents sent her to be raised by her Godmothers because of this, to protect her from the curse. Now, she was 16. Now, she had met the prince, who wanted to marry her, who she was supposed to marry at birth. She was raised in a forest. She spoke to animals. She danced and sang with animals. She ate whatever she could find. She used a broom and her fingers were rough from scrubbing the floors and from plucking the thorns of roses. She wore cheap cotton that brushed against her skin like rough paper. She had never touched silk before. She had never seen jewels. She had never interacted with a male before until she had met Philip. She did not know her kingdom. She did not know her parents. She knew nothing about people. She knew nothing about diplomacy. She knew nothing about etiquette. She knew nothing.

She was like a beautiful picture. She was divine to look at from a distance. She was ugly when seen up-close. She imagined the court to be filled with extravagant laddies wearing large silk gowns of several different colors, looking like candy wrappers, their hair tall and filled with different embellishments. They would carry clutches of different colors and shapes, wear shoes of different shapes, sizes and colors. Their clothes would come from different lands, their jewels would glitter like the stars in the night sky. They would have several maids and servants, so many that they wouldn't even know their names. They would live in large houses with so many rooms that they could get lost. They would have several horses and would eat lavish things, things that could not be pronounced on gold plates with gold cutlery. They would drink the best wine. They would dance and laugh, waving their paper fans, walking elegantly, their heels clicking against the floors. Their perfumes would linger in the hallways. They would be accompanied by men dressed in sharp suits all the time and would have intelligent conversations about things that Aurora could never comprehend. They would speak different languages and would play different sports. They would have several dinner parties and this was not her world.

She would never be accepted into this world. She would never be accepted into this world, not even as their servant, forget their queen. She was unfit to rule in every possible manner and no one would ever understand that. Just because she had returned to her parents now hardly meant anything. For her entire life, she was told to run along and play in mud, skipping and dancing. She was told to do whatever she liked, however she liked and whenever she liked. She never had to bother with anyone and for anyone. She saw the looks they gave her, the way the servants whispered and giggled every time they saw her. She did not belong in a palace. She belonged in the forests. The palace walls were constrained, like a prison. She was told what to do, what to wear, how to eat, how to behave. All she wanted to do was experience life and she had. That one day with Philip was more than enough. She got what she wanted and now, all she wanted was to go back to the life she had lived all her conscious life.

They simply figured that once she was reunited with her parents, it would be all joy and happiness but it wasn't. They were simply biologically related. The moment they sent her away, for whatever reason it was, a bond was severed forever. She was simply cordial at this moment. They used her for political gain, marrying her off to Philip. It didn't matter if she liked him or not. They didn't even consider asking her if she was alright with all of this and that is when it all became painfully clear to her- she was born to be a pawn. But she couldn't accept that.

Now, she had an escape. The curse. Yes, she was cursed. She had followed a light up to a small room at the top of the tower, where an old woman was spinning with her spindle. She knew what it was, even if her parents had forbidden any kind of spinning to protect her through out the kingdom. She knew who the old woman was. Aurora was not stupid. She knew exactly what would happen when she picked herself on the needle.

She reached out for the needle, her finger hovering above it. For a second, she hesitated. What about all those who loved and depended upon her? But at the same time, she considered everything that had happened- the only one that truly loved her was herself. It was a tragic reality but it as true. What visions and dreams seemed to b, were seldom true. She had always been told that, every time she had a nightmare by one of her mothers. Now, it was almost sickly ironic that those words echoed in her mind for this situation. At this thought, a bitter smirk graced her rose-pink lips as she finally reached out to pick her finger.

One drop of blood was drawn as the sharp needle pierced her skin, causing her knees to instantly give away as her body collapsed on the white marble floor as if it were as weightless as a feather. A soft echo was heard as her body kissed the floor, her eyes tightly shut, her golden hair sprawled across the floor like a golden halo. She had never looked more peaceful as her features were finally allowed to rest. She had consciously chosen this. She was a 16 year old girl, not prepared to take on the responsibilities of a kingdom and marriage. She had wanted an escape and this was hers.

Therefore, she slept. But, what she had not realized was that while she slept, her kingdom slept as well. That was the part everyone left out, as the eighth fairy who cursed her grinned. She truly did have a malevolent nature and from now onwards, she would prefer to be called 'Maleficent', the mistress and absolute queen of all evil. It was a wonderful title which really did suit her diabolical nature.


End file.
